Electric switch



(No Model.)

H HUBBBLL y BLECTRIG SWITGH. v No. 471,612. Patented Mar, 29, 1892.

- JMU specification, numbers being used to designate UNITED STATESPATENT CEEICE.

HARVEY I-IUBBELL, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. Y

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,612, dated March29, 1892.

Application filed October 5 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY HUBBELL, a citizen. of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, durable,quick-acting,andinexpensive electric switch. Vith these ends in view Ihave devised thesimpleand novel construction of which the followingdescriptiomin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a theseveral parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the principle of my invention asapplied to a singlepole switch, the contact-bar being shown as in theopen position; Fig.v 2, a side elevation as seen from the right in Fig.1, the yoke being in section; Fig. 3, a section on the line x x in Fig.1; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the yoke and spindle, showing theapplication of my invention to a double-pole switch, the contact-bar,brushes, and terminals appearingin plan; Fig. 5, a detail View, on anenlarged scale, illustrating-the operation of the crosspiece andcontact-bar; Fig. 6, an inverted plan View of a supporting-plate,preferably used and under the contact-bar,showing the manner in whichthe spindle is held against removal; and Fig. 7 is a detail Viewcorresponding. with Fig.l 3, showing the cross-bar in an intermediateposition and the pins in a vertical position, said parts being in theposition they occupy an instant before the movement of Lhe'contact-bar.

1 denotes the base, which may be made of wood, porcelain, or anysuitable material; 2, the terminals; 3, the yoke, which is rigidlysecured to the base; 4c, the spindle, which oscillates freely in theyoke and base; 5, the oscillatingcontact-bar; '6, the brushes, and 7 asupporting-plate lying upon the top of the base between the arms of theyoke. The upper por- Serial No. 407,740. (No model.)

in cross-section and carries a cross-piece 8, which may or may not slideup and down on the spindle, but must oscillate therewith. The underside-of the cross-piece and the upper side of the contact-bar areprovided with depressions 9, which receive the respective ends of pinsor bars 10.

11 denotes a strong spring, which bears upon the under side of the yokeand upon the upper side of the cross-piece, thus acting to force thecross-piece downward. At the upper end of the spindle is a iinger-piece12, which is rigidly secured thereto. The lower end of the spindle-1i.e.,the portion whichpasses th rough the contact-bar andsupporting-plate-is ordinarily made round.

13 is a pin, which passes through the spindle under thesupporting-plate, thereby holding the spindle against removal until theyoke is removed.

14 denotes stops inthe base, which limit the movement of the contact-barin single-pole switches when it is thrown to either the open or closedposition, the oscillationsof the crosspiece being limited by the yoke,as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: In assembling suppose the contact-bar to beat the open position, as in Figs. 1 and 3. The cross-piece is placed atthe opposite extreme of its movement with the pins lying obliquelybetween said parts, the ends resting in depressions 9, as is alsoclearly shown in Fig. 1. The action of the spring is to force thecross-piece down and hold the parts in this position. When the parts'arein the position shown in, Fig. 3, movement of the finger-piece towardthe right will carry the spindle and cross-piece to the position shownin Fig. 7, the cross-piece sliding upward on the spindle if left loosethereon, and both cross-piece and spindle rising if the cross-piece isattached to the spindle. As soon as the cross-piece has moved past thedeadcenter-ie., so that the upper ends of the pins incline toward theright-the spring will act again to force the cross-piece downward,the'effect of which will be to throw the contact-bar instantly to theopposite extreme of its movement. Suppose that when the move- 5o tion ofthe spindle is shown as made angular ment of the finger-piece began thecontactroo bar was in the open position, as in Figs. 1 and 3. Saidcontact-bar would be instantly thrown to the closed position; or if saidcontact-bar was in the closed position it would be instantly thrown tothe open position.

I have shown the contact-bar as provided with upwardly-turned endsl, towhich the brushes are secured by screws, or in any ordinary or preferredmanner. In double pole switches, (see Fig. 4,) as it is necessary thatthe brushes should be insulated, I place a layer 16 of suitableinsulating material, ordinarilyhard rubber, aboutthe u pwardly-turnedends of the contact-bar. In order to give the greatest possiblestrength, I preferably place a strip 17 of brass about the layer ofinsulating material, and to this I attach the brushes, the brushesthemselves being made of bronze or any 'suitable material.

Having thus described my invention, I claimi l. The combination, with aspindle carrying a cross-piece and a contact-bar turning freely on saidspindle, said cross-piece and contact-bar having depressions 9, of aspring acting toforcefthe Vcross-piece downward andpins engaging,respectively, the depressions in thecross-piece and contact-bar.

2. The combination, with a rotary spindle, a cross-piece carriedthereby, and a contactbar mounted and turning looselyon the spindle, ofa yoke, a spring engaging the yoke andy cross-piece to force the latterdownward, and pins engaging the cross-piece and contact-bar and actingto throw sai d parts away from each other, so that when the cross-pieceis moved toward the contact-bar the crosspiece will be raised againstthe'power of the spring until the dead-center is passed, when acting tohold the cross-piece downward, pins engaging the cross-piece andcontact-bar and acting to throw them in opposite directions, a yoke bywhich the parts are held in 4place and which serves as a stop to limitthe movement of the cross-piece, and stops 14, which limit the movementof the contact-bar in either direction.

4. The com bination,with a yoke, a spindle, a cross-piece carriedthereby, and a spring acting to force the cross-piece downward, of ,acontact-bar, a' plate 7, upon which it' rests, pins engaging thecross-piece and contact-bar and acting to throw themin oppositeYdirections, and a pin 13 in the spindle below plate 7, by which theparts. arevr held in position until the yoke is removed.

5. The combination, with the spindle carrying a cross-piece and aspringacting to yforce the cross-piece downward, of a contact-bar havingupwardly-turned ends, insulatingpieces upon said upwardly.- turnedvends, brushes secured to the'insulating pieces, and pins l0, engagingthe cross-piece and contactbar to throwthem in oppositedirections whenthe spindle is rotated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY I'IUBBELL. `Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, EDITH G. ELY.

